Build Your Own Bouquet: Introducing Our First-Ever Floral Collection

July 13, 2018 | Filed in: Your Closet

For our latest collection, “The Wild Card” (coming this Tuesday!), we’re boldly going where MM.LaFleur has never gone before: florals. To celebrate this launch, we spoke with our design team about the inspiration behind the collection, then enlisted all-star stylist Nyjerah to put together a few looks from the new line, worn by MM employees. Below, check out our take on florals for summer. 

The Inspiration

“For this collection, we wanted to do something surprising,” says Miyako, our Creative Director. “The idea was to create the MM version of a bouquet, with different floral designs that our customers could mix and match.” While we’ve incorporated prints into previous lines, this is our first ever all-print collection—just one of the things that makes The Wild Card so special.

In addition to different designs, the collection also features a variety of fabrics that can hold their own through the warmest months of the year: think stretchy cotton and light-as-a-feather silk. “We’re diversifying our print textiles,” says Audrey, MM’s Director of Fabric Research and Development. “We wanted to offer breathable, summer-friendly fabrics in fun, punchy prints.” 

Casey wears the Bushwick skirt in wildflowers.

The Process

To create these garments, we worked with a vintage print repository in New York’s Hudson Valley with textiles dating back to the 1750s. From their library, we chose three prints and textiles to convert into fabrics. “We wanted a variety of prints, but ones that would complement each other and work together in one collection,” says Elana, our assistant textile designer. 

The Prints

Tossed Petals

Caroline wears the Tina dress in tossed petals.

About the print: Made from a lightweight stretch silk, this print is a painterly take on floral petals. “It’s almost a neutral,” says Elana. “There’s no single focal point, so it doesn’t read as an obviously floral design.”

How to wear it: The featherweight silk drapes beautifully, and is exactly what you’ll want to reach for in the thick of summer. Bonus: the relaxed fit of the Tina is baby bump-friendly (shown here on our team member Caroline, who’s six months pregnant). 

Wildflowers

Casey (left) wears the Bushwick skirt in wildflowers and the Ronda top in ivory. Susan (right) wears the Didion top in wildflowers with the Chester pant and Carson blazer in rust.

About the print: Made from a breathable, machine-washable crêpe from Italy, this print was inspired by pressed flowers. It features delicate blooms and stems that have an airy quality, “as if they’ve been tossed from a bouquet,” says Elana.

How to wear it: Pair these separates together to create a full floral suit, or mix and match with solid colors. Tucking an ivory blouse into the Bushwick skirt is an easy and elegant option for the office or outdoor happy hour. And if you’re feeling bold, follow our team member Susan’s lead and use the Didion as a base layer for a suit.

Floral Cotton & Floral Crêpe

Bianca (left) wears the Cobble Hill skirt in floral cotton and the Peggy top in ivory. Shayne (right) wears the Ferrante top in floral crêpe and the Mejia pant in floral cotton with the Hoffman blazer in navy.

About the print: For this design, we took a vintage French painting of blue and white flowers, converted it into a digital file, and sent it to our mills to print on both stretch cotton and knit crêpe. Says Elana: “This pattern is subtle. When you step back, you see the floral design, but up close, it just looks like shapes and swipes of paint—it’s almost like an Impressionist painting.”

How to wear it: Take a page from stylist Shayne’s book and pair the floral separates together to make a chic summer suit (you can add a structured blazer as an extra layer). Alternately, tuck a neutral shell into the printed pants or skirt.

Floral Jacquard

Bianca wears the Choe top in floral jacquard and the Harlem skirt in black.

About the print: The knit tops in this collection have the same print as the floral cotton and floral crêpe pieces, but in a gray-black color palette rather than blue. “The jacquard is made from a mix of heathered and solid yarns, so you get this nice dimension and texture,” says Annie, MM’s knitwear designer. Made from 100% mercerized cotton, these tops are stronger than most basic tees, and have a subtle sheen that gives the floral graphic sharp definition.

How to wear it: These pieces make great base layers—tuck them into the Harlem skirt, and add a jardigan to make a full knit suit. 

Ready to create your own bouquet-inspired look? Keep an eye on your inbox for The Wild Card, coming Tuesday.